Some workers have grumbled about Mr. Ogrodzki's capitalistic management style, but basically he has been forgiven.

But this fall there is an air of frustration bordering on bitterness, as production has slipped and workers grumble that the crisis has kept their wages from rising.

The Soviet workers can only grumble in frustration.

"It has four bolts," a worker, Vladymyr Gembel, grumbled.

Plenty can still go wrong in China, from a banking crisis (national banks are insolvent) to labor riots (laid-off workers are grumbling everywhere).

Slaves mumble, workers grumble and students mutter.

Older workers, scarred and missing a finger or two, did not grumble much.

Sure, the high-tech workers grumbled and moaned about disruptions, and they all claimed that they preferred to work in long, luxurious stretches.

Several workers also grumbled that they were not paid for the three or four hours spent each day being shuttled to the tomato fields by their crew leaders.

While workers still grumble, Mr. Crandall was able to mitigate some hostility by promising not to lay off workers.